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Xiaomi Mi A1 Android 8.0 Oreo update roll-out restarted

Update (Jan 26): Xiaomi has restarted the Android Oreo update roll-out for the Mi A1 smartphone. You can go to settings > software update to look for the OTA update now.
In addition to all the Oreo goodies, the update includes January Android security patches and the following fixes and improvements.

Optimized audio parameters.
No more “quick charge” on the lock-screen when charging.
Performance optimizations from MIUI
Fixed bluetooth power consumption issue and missing dialer icon
Fixed camera connection issues and network problems
Updated Feedback app
Faster fingerprint unlocking

Update (Jan 13, 2018): Xiaomi has suspended the roll-out of the Android Oreo update for Mi A1. It is expected to restart in the next few weeks.

Update (Dec 31): Barely keeping its promise of providing the Android 8.0 Oreo update for Mi A1 before the end of this year, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has released the final Oreo update for the smartphone. The update is now automatically reaching the Mi A1 owners over-the-air (OTA). As the software update are released in batches, it will take a few days in reaching all the consumers.
“We’re ending the year with an O! #MiA1 users, stay tuned as we’re rolling out your long-awaited update in batches but make sure you’re already on the latest December update (7.12.19) to receive Android O!,” Xiaomi wrote in a tweet.
The update is over 1107MB in size. The complete changelog is not available at this point, but you can expect to see the usual Oreo goodies like notification dots, autofill for passwords, picture-in-picture support, faster boot times, new emojis and more.
Earlier (Dec 12): Mi A1 getting Android Oreo beta
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has released the Android 8.0 Oreo beta update for the select Mi A1 owners, who had signed up to be a beta tester. The update is rolling out now over-the-air (OTA) and will reach your Mi A1 unit if you had registered for the beta. You can read more about the Mi A1 beta update participation at this link.
As per the reports on MIUI forums, the Oreo beta is over 1104MB in size. If everything goes well, we will probably see the stable version roll-out before the end of this year. If you have already installed the Oreo beta on your phone, do let us know about the experience in the comments section.
Also read: Best Android Oreo features
To remind you, Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first Android One smartphone. It was launched in September this year with Android 7.1 Nougat on-board. Apart from Oreo, the Mi A1 will receive at least one more major Android ‘release (Android P). It features a 5.5-inch full HD screen and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor. It also packs 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, dual rear cameras with 12-megapixel wide-angle and 12-megapixel telephoto lens and 5MP selfie camera.
In related news, Xiaomi India recently announced the first price-cut for Mi A1. The phone is now available at INR 13,999 in India. It is offered in Black, Gold and Rose Gold colour options.

Android 8.1 developer preview released: What’s new

Google has unveiled a new version of Android in the form of Android 8.1 Oreo. It is a minor release, but still includes a number of under-the-hood changes as well as some feature upgrades.
According to the search giant, Android 8.1 is now available as a developer preview, so that the app developers can make their Android apps ready for the new Android version. The final release of the Android 8.1 will be available in December. It will start pushing out to Pixel and Nexus devices first, followed by devices from other manufacturers. However, a beta build of the 8.1 can be installed on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P devices right now. Google has already posted the factory images as well as OTA update files of the new version for these devices on its website. If you don’t want to go the manual way, you can enroll in the Android beta program and wait for the OTA update to automatically reach your phone. If you’re already a part of the beta program, there is no need to re-enroll.

What’s new in Android 8.1

Android 8.1 packs new features, developer APIs, latest optimizations, changes based on the consumer feedback, bug fixes and security patches.
Let’s start with the under-the-hood changes:

Memory optimization for Android Go

In order to provide a better experience on the Android Go configuration devices (with less than 1GB of RAM), Android 8.1 comes with a number of memory optimizations. The app developers will be able to provide different APKs in the same app for Android 8.1 devices with more than 1GB of RAM and devices with less than 1GB of RAM. Depending the signals in app, Play Store will also be highlight the APK version more apt for the particular Android device.
This should allow the app developers in bundling a lite version of their app within the main app, rather than publishing it as a separate app in the Play Store, as is the trend right now.

Neural Networks APIs

Google is also introducing a new Neural Networks API to allow the developers in better using the machine learning in their apps on Android devices. The new API enables hardware-accelerated inference operations on supported devices.

Autofill improvements

The search giant has improved how password managers and other apps use the Autofill framework, which was introduced in version 8.0.

Shared memory API

This new API lets apps allocate shared memory for faster access to common data. Apps can map anonymous shared memory and manage protection controls using this.

WallpaperColors API

This new API allows the Android apps to obtain the wallpaper colour on the device in order to possibly change the appearance of its own elements.
In addition to the above changes, the developers can also expect see updates related to EditText, Safe Browsing actions in webview, video thumbnail extractor, and fingerprint management in Android 8.1.
Coming to the visible changes:

Settings revamp

Google has tweaked the settings menu again in Android 8.1. It now includes a full search bar on the top to help users quickly find what they are looking for. Earlier, there used to be a search icon, but looks like most people missed that. The Moves menu has been renamed to Gestures in Languages and input. In addition, the ringtone selector will now use the full screen rather than appearing as a popup.

Quick settings and notification shade updates

Android 8.1 will show the battery levels of the connected Bluetooth devices right in the Quick Settings. Earlier the users needed to expand the quick settings toggle to see the level, but now it is right in the front.
Also, Google has made the notifications shade semi-transparent in version 8.1. So, rather than sporting a solid colour and hiding what is going on the screen behind that, it will now offer a little peek at whatever is going on in the background.

On-screen navigation buttons dim automatically

Android 8.1 will dim the software navigation buttons system-wide when they are not in use. This should avoid any distractions that these buttons may be causing the Android users.

‘Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep’ is gone

The option to keep or switch off Wi-Fi during sleep has been removed in the new Android version. It is unclear what the Android system will be doing by default in the absence of this setting, and how that would impact the battery life.

Updated Power menu comes to all devices

The new Pixel 2 phones were shipped with a new Power Menu, which rather than appearing in the middle of screen, showed on the right-edge near the power button placement. Now, the change is coming to all Android devices with Android 8.1 including the older Pixel and Nexus devices.

Oreo easter egg and Oreo icon in system notifications

Oreo has finally gotten a proper easter egg in Android 8.1 It replaces the the circular orange thing that was present in Android 8.0. You can check it out by going to Settings, then ‘About phone,’ then tapping a bunch of times on ‘Android version.’
Similarly, the system notifications will now show an Oreo icon rather than the circular thing.

Notifications sounds

In more notifications related changes, the Android apps can now only make a notification alert sound once per second. Alert sounds that exceed this rate aren’t queued and are lost.

Image Credit: Reddit

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Google Maps Go app now available in Play Store

When I wrote about the Android Oreo (Go Edition) launch, I told you guys about Google’s plans to release Go editions of its popular Android applications, which will be developed keeping in mind the entry-level smartphones. The company released the Files Go, YouTube Go and Google Go before the Oreo (Go Edition) announcement and now the Maps Go app has appeared in the Play Store.

“Google Maps Go, the lighter version of the original Google Maps app, is designed to run smoothly on devices with limited memory and on unreliable networks without compromising speed,” write Google in the Play Store description of the app.
While these Go-branded applications are primarily meant for the Android Go smartphones, the likes of Files Go and YouTube Go have been available to the most Android users, but the Maps Go doesn’t seem to be compatible with any devices at this point. One of possible reasons for that could be that it is just a progressive web app (PWA) at this moment, which could be easily accessed using this URL found by the folks at Android Police. If you want to try this Maps Go PWA, open the link in a new Chrome window.
The feature-set of the Maps Go is pretty decent. It can show maps, give you directions, search for places, show different layers, share your location, show real-time traffic and more. As per the Google Play listing, it is available in over 70 languages and houses maps for over 200 countries and territories.
After the Maps Go, only Assistant Go and Gmail Go apps are left to be released from Go edition portfolio. It is likely that we will see a PWA for Gmail Go as well, but Assistant Go is more likely to be a native app.
The post Google Maps Go app now available in Play Store .

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Nexus 6P receiving Android 8.1 Oreo update

Google has started to rollout the latest and the greatest Android 8.1 Oreo update to the Nexus 6P. Currently, it is rolling out in India and for other countries we can’t confirm. Well, the 534 MB update is on a roll and will be reaching your Nexus 6P very soon. If you have already received the update, you can let us know abou the major changes via comment form below.

If we talk about the Android 8.1 Oreo features, then the major ones are autofill enhancements, battery indicator for Bluetooth connected devices, memory fixes, HDR+ camera features, AI integration in imaging and many other fixes for bugs.
Above mentioned all the changes are going to take place in your Mobile device after the update. The above AI part is only available for Pixel devices, the Nexus 6P is not eligible for this feature.
There are many other changes that are going to take place after the update. We suggest you to wait for the update if you have not received it. Either, you can also check for the update manually by simply going to the settings menu and then hovering over to check for the update option.
Also, we suggest you to switch to WiFi networks to save some additional costs on your carrier network.
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